


If You've Seen One Ice Cave....

by StellarLibraryLady



Series: Trusting Hearts [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: "You Aren't Wanted" Reference, Angst and Humor, Apologetic Scotty, Bickering, Blind Naked Porpoises, Cranky Kirk, Crew as Family, Curvy Critters Candy, Developing Relationship James T. Kirk/Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Established Relationship Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock, First Kiss, First Time, Hands Entwined, Ice Caves, M/M, Mix-Ups, Shore Leave, Skimpy Attire, Swimming Pools
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-12-16 07:20:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21032387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarLibraryLady/pseuds/StellarLibraryLady
Summary: Captain Kirk is cranky, but he has good reason to be.  He had been looking forward to a relaxing shore leave, but Scotty messed up their reservations.  Now Scotty has to make amends for booking their tropical holiday in an ice cave.However does Scotty propose to make amends if they are stranded in an ice cave, you might well ask?Meanwhile, Spock and McCoy are trying to help them, but are also trying to have some fun on their own shore leave.





	1. A Capital Z On Its Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mix-up has sent Kirk and Scotty to the wrong site for shore leave.

“Tell me again how we got here?” the guy with him wanted to know, his anger barely contained.

“Well,” Montgomery Scott answered evasively, full well understanding the prickly situation he was suddenly in as blinding snow swirled around their summer clothing. “I canna remember exactly, sir.” Scotty knew that lame answer wasn’t going to fly very long with Jim Kirk, and it didn’t.

“Odd, I can seem to remember exactly,” Kirk spat out between clinched teeth. “Seems like it was just last week… Wasn’t it, Mr. Scott?”

So if Kirk could remember that well when plans had been made, why was he asking now? Or was it just some sort of rhetorical question, as Scotty suspected, that's sole purpose was to convey just how aggravated Kirk was. For Scotty was no dummy. He knew that his captain probably really wasn’t in the mood for logic or good intentions or anything else that made sense to Scotty at the moment. Kirk just wanted to know why he was quickly becoming a snowman.

“Well, perhaps it was just recently, now that I recollect,” Scotty hem-hawed because it looked like Kirk wasn’t going to let this go anytime soon.

Of course, Scotty really couldn’t blame Kirk, considering the circumstances that they’d just now found themselves. It had been rather a jolt to the system for both of them to be in a warm shuttle one moment and then to find themselves in the middle of a winter storm the next as their erstwhile shuttlecraft zoomed toward the horizon, never to be seen again.

Kirk blinked snowflakes out of his eyelashes. "It's colder than the outer reaches of space, Scotty," Kirk said pointedly.

"Aye, it is quite cold here, sir. A bit on the nippy side."

"Nippy side?! I'm freezing my balls off here, Scotty!" Kirk snapped out between chattering teeth. "They're bunching up on me and threatening to get sucked back up into my stomach!"

"Aye, sir, I've noticed that on myself. I may well be the last Scott on my particular line of the family tree, seeing as my own reproductive organs are threatening to disappear completely."

"Hmm. Well, that's poetic justice for you, I suppose. Seeing as how this is your fault, and all. Funny in a way, how poetic it is for you."

"Aye, sir," Scotty muttered, not needing to note that in his opinion Kirk didn't seem to be taking the situation very light-heartedly. For a guy who was acting like Kirk was, he didn't seem like he was appreciating anything "funny" about their predicament in the least.

There was no humor at all in Kirk’s grim smile. In fact, it looked more like a grimace, and Scotty was betting that it was beginning to hurt Kirk to hold his face in that position for so long. Scotty also figured (and correctly) that Kirk was not going to lose that grim smile of his anytime soon.

“Well, then can you remember exactly how long we are entitled to stay at this luxury resort before a shuttle is to show up to ferry us away from our fairytale vacation?” Kirk wanted to know as he squinted against the sleet that was beginning to sting his handsome face. It felt like a thousand blunt-nosed bees were attacking his delicate skin all at once. He only hoped that Scotty's face was being assaulted so viciously, also.

“It, it might be a day or so, Captain….” Scotty allowed his voice to trail off.

“Oh? Two days? Three at the most maybe? Now that you think about it, hmm?”

“Well, ah, maybe more like a week. Ah, at least.”

“A week?!” Kirk roared.

“Well, ah, closer to two weeks. Sir,” Scotty answered weakly with his head lowered.

“Two weeks? Here?! In this ice cave?!” Kirk roared again as he looked around wildly. “Hell, man, we’ll be dead in a week, let alone two weeks! By that time, we'll be part of the landscape! Just two frozen man-shaped statues standing guard in front of this ice cave! As if anyone in his right mind would fight us for possession of this place!”

“Aye,” Scotty agreed sheepishly. “Looks like that might be the case, Captain. It is all ours. For two weeks.” He tried to be cheerful, but his weak smile died bravely on his lips.

“My God, Scotty! Look around us! For miles in any direction! Ice! Snow! A winter wonderland! Great for frolicking with the Eskimos, as if any self-respecting Eskimo would be living here! They're brighter than that! But, oh, no, not us! Because here we are!"

"Aye."

Kirk flapped his arms up and down in asperation. "Ice! Ice everywhere! Great ski country, I expect! And I brought my swimming trunks and scuba gear!”

“Aye, Captain, as did I.”

“Next time you don’t get to book our reservations for shore leave, that’s for damn sure!”

“I dinna know, Captain. Sorry,” Scotty said with downcast head.

“How could you make a mistake like that? You said it sounded like such a good deal, so we all let you do our booking for us."

"It did."

"What was the name of the tour package?”

“Niceland.”

“Niceland? Hell, it must’ve been Iceland, and you misread.”

Scotty thought back. “I was eating some curvy critters snacks. Maybe one of the ones for a zoo was lying on its side, and I mistook it for a capital N.”

Kirk looked stunned. “You mean that I wound up in a frozen tundra because you had scattered some kiddy candy all over your desk and mixed up the letters?!”

“Just the capital Z on its side making it look like an N,” Scotty reminded him. Then his voice trailed off as he saw Kirk’s anger begin to build. “I suppose….”

“Where’s everyone else? Our buddies, Spock and McCoy and the others? Where have you sent them?! Are they booked on this hearty jaunt with us in their own ice caves, or have you already arranged for them to be eaten by polar bears or whatever hungry carnivore resides in this frozen hellhole?!” 

“I dinnae know, sir. Odd that they are not here also.”

“Odd. Yes. It is odd now, isn’t it?” Once again his slapdash grin held no humor in it. "Helluva thing, losing track of most of a crew. And then saying that it is 'odd.' More than 'odd,' wouldn't you think?"

Scotty saw no need to answer even if he could think of what to say.

Kirk flipped open his communicator. “Mr. Spock, are you out there somewhere?” he asked as he scanned the barrenness for miles in front of him. “Please say you are safe and not being digested for lunch in the gut of some satisfied brute,” he muttered into his device, paying no attention to Scotty’s looks of guilt and remorse.

The comm squawked, probably also objecting to the cold, then Spock answered. “Captain. Wherever are you?”

“Somewhere that would make your Vulcan blood run cold. Literally,” Kirk answered. “Where are you?”

“Why, here at the poolside with Dr. McCoy and the others. We have delightful accommodations for shore leave. It is a beautiful day in the low eighties and a brilliant sun is shining down on us so brightly that is a good thing that we are all wearing our sunglasses."

"Beautiful day," Kirk repeated with a smirk. "Low eighties. Brilliant sun. Sunglasses all around." Kirk sighed, and Scotty could hear the irony in it. "Sounds great."

"Yes, Captain, it is," Spock agreed amiably, not knowing what fires he was stoking on the other end of his conversation. "Everyone is wearing swimming suits and using sunscreen. Nurse Chapel is already complaining of some pinkness flaring up on her fair skin. Of course, that is pretty much all over her since her bathing suit is covering such a small extent of her. Sometimes I do not know why the ladies bother to don apparel if it is not going to cover very much of them.”

“Really? Christine Chapel in a tiny, tiny swimming suit?” Kirk glared at Scotty. They could be feasting their eyes on Chapel’s skimpy attire and reddening skin right now instead of watching each other shiver and becoming more covered with snow.

“We did not know that you and Mr. Scott were not with us until we reassembled at the pool. We just thought that you were riding in another Humvee."

"Humvee? No, we got into a shuttle," Kirk said with an ironic look on his face and tone to his voice.

"Shuttle? Why ever did you do that?"

The irony on Kirk's face and in his voice deepened. "That's where we were directed. Or, at least that's where 'I' was directed." He noticed that Scotty was looking anywhere but at him.

"We had a most delightful safari ride to the hotel from the airport," Spock was saying. "You missed seeing all sorts of beasts of prey. It was really quite exciting and thrilling to realize that we were in the cages instead of them.”

“We’re going to be happy if we do not see beasts of prey where we are. I doubt if any kind of cages will be provided. For anyone. No, all we saw on the shuttle was more stars. A lot of stars. Like always.”

Scotty rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Stars? You should not have been seeing stars, Captain. Not on the ground."

"You're telling me," Kirk muttered.

“Just exactly where are you, Captain? What part of Niceland did you book?”

Kirk glanced around to see if any part of their barren, wintry surroundings had changed. It hadn’t.

“Actually, Iceland. We are in Iceland. Iceland, in Winter.”

“Iceland?! But, Captain…. How?!”

“A capital ‘Z’ was lying on its side,” Kirk answered in a tired voice.

“Captain, that makes no sense at all.”

“You’re telling me,” Kirk repeated.

"So Mr. Scott is with you?"

"Yes, he is. For the moment." Scotty wouldn't look at him.

"For the moment? Is he going somewhere?"

"I haven't decided." Scotty looked very unsettled with that news. "Kinda need a way outa here, Spock, if you can manage it."

"Of course, Captain. As soon as possible."

"I'd appreciate it."

Then Spock’s voice was muffled and it was obvious that he was talking to someone else. “Iceland. I do not care if that makes no sense, Doctor, that is what the captain has been telling me. He and Mr. Scott are in Iceland. Iceland in Winter. And I would believe that to be the truth because of the way the captain's teeth are chattering.” Then was more garbled dialogue. "Doctor, that is a poor reaction, I must say." Then Spock came back on. “Captain, are you still there?” His voice sounded strained while McCoy could be heard hooting in the background. In fact, it sounded like McCoy was choking on his own spit.

“I am. What’s the matter with McCoy?”

“He appears to be laughing,” Spock answered with a pained voice. “I am sorry for his lack of sensitivity for your dire situation.”

“Not your fault. I’d be laughing, too, if I wasn’t on this end.”

“Doctor? What are you doing?” Spock demanded as some scuffling sounds were broadcast.

Then McCoy was yelling. “Jim, are you two alright?!” It must’ve just dawned on him that they might not be. "How are you feeling?!"

“Cold. Pissed off. Spiteful. You know, normal... when I'm angry about something,” he said, glaring at the self-conscious Scotty as if to remind him that Kirk hadn't forgotten.

“Are either of you in any danger?”

“Scotty might at any moment get killed by me. But outside of that, we’re doing okay. Just waiting around to be rescued or to die of exposure. Whichever comes first.”

“Look, I don’t know if we can get you out of there right away. We're busy here.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your tanning schedule or anything vital like that.”

“There’s no reason to act that way, Jim. Spock’s working on what he can do for you from this end. So are Sulu and Chekov.”

“I appreciate what everyone's doing, Bones. I’m just a little touchy.”

“Well, you’ve got good reason to be. Here’s Spock again. He looks like he's about ready to lay an egg, so he must have something important to say. I'm not ready for him to go into the produce business, so I'll let him talk to you.”

“Captain, have you found shelter?”

“We’re standing in front of an ice cave. Not much prospects so far.”

“It is imperative that you seek shelter out of the elements and find warmth. Have you explored the cave yet?”

“Nah. Just been luxuriating our amazed eyes on the panoramic scenery from our front door. The colors from light gray to dull white and all of the delicate shadings in between just boggle the senses. It’s a feast for the eyes that few other vistas can come close to ever equaling, let alone surpassing. I didn’t know what I was missing until I had witnessed it for myself.”

There was a pregnant silence filled with what Kirk could only assume was an exchange of glances between Spock and McCoy. Kirk doubted if either one of them was any too happy with what they were hearing. Well, he’d trade places with either or both of them right now if they thought that this was any picnic on the beach or a walk in the park on a sunny Spring day--

“Captain, I understand that you are quite stressed,” Spock said in soothing tones with an overlying note of concern.

"That's large of you, Spock." That time Kirk's sarcasm easily carried over the comm. "I appreciate the kind thoughts."

“Perhaps you should let me communicate with Mr. Scott and give you some rest,” Spock suggested.

“I’m the bad guy here?!” Kirk sputtered. “Me?! Not Scotty?! Do you know what he did?! Well, let me tell you, Vulcan--”

“Captain, let me have the communicator,” Scotty demanded.

“Here! And I hope you two will be very happy together,” Kirk muttered as he shoved the communicator at Scotty and stomped away.

“Yes, Mr. Spock,” Scotty answered as he eyed Kirk warily. “No, sir, just angry. I would be, too, sir, under the circumstances.”

At that, Kirk turned back. Hell, it wasn't Scotty's fault. It wasn't like he'd planned something stupid to happen or anything silly like that. If Scotty was going to play a trick on Kirk, would he have turned it on himself, too? And the biggest question of all: Would he leave himself stranded all alone with an angry man?

“Scotty, I can take the communicator back,” Kirk said.

“Are you certain, sir?” Scotty asked with apprehension as he studied his now calm looking captain.

Kirk nodded as he made a beckoning motion with his fingers. Scotty handed over the comm, but his face clearly said that it was with misgivings that he did so.

“Yeah, Spock, I’m back,” Kirk announced. He glanced at Scotty. “I just needed a moment.”

“And Mr. Scott is nearby? In case you have further need of a cooler head to assess your circumstances?”

“Mr. Spock, I am perfectly capable of--”

“But is he nearby?”

“Now where else would he be in this frozen wasteland? I have a feeling that I couldn’t shake him if I wanted to.”

Scotty had the grace to look uncomfortable.

Kirk continued. “And I also have the feeling that if we part company, it won’t be his idea. For the moment, he’s staying put. He’s not exactly dressed to take part in an arctic trek. And neither am I, for that matter,” he muttered in disgust. “Now, if you’re quite reassured about Mr. Scott’s whereabouts, could you please get back to the original problem of trying to get us out of this hellhole?!” His voice had risen all during his last sentence, until he was practically yelling.

“I have been trying to ascertain just exactly where you are located, Captain. It does not seem to be anywhere on Niceland.”

“No need to do that, Mr. Spock, since I’m not planning on returning here anytime soon, if ever! And having once been here myself, I do not recommend it as a holiday destination for anyone else! Take it from an old globe traveler and someone who's been around the universe a time or two, this ain’t the place to be! Not now! Not ever!”

"Captain, you really need to be patient with us. The only way we can get to you is to locate you so we can find you," Spock explained slowly, as if to a child.

"Now don't you think I've figured that much out on my own, Mr. Spock?!" Kirk snapped. Kirk never snapped at Spock. But he did this time.

“Is Mr. Scott nearby?” Spock wanted to know. "How is he faring?"

Having once been down this avenue with Spock, Kirk closed his eyes, pinched the top of his nose, and breathed deeply. “Mr. Scott is nearby. He continues to be in excellent health, discounting a deepening coating of snow which is causing him to shiver. Please inform Dr. McCoy of that vital information, too, if you will please. I will convey the best regards of both of you to Mr. Scott so that all three of you will be reassured that your social niceties are very much up to date!”

“Captain, it is not Mr. Scott’s health that is concerning me at the moment or his social status.”

“I realize that, Mr. Spock. I’m just having anger issues which are quickly turning into frustration and anxiety!” He glanced around himself. “There’s just so much ice here! I’d sell my soul right now to see some color! Even you would be a welcomed sight in your skimpy swimming trunks! You would be green!”

“Captain, I am not green,” Spock reproved stiffly. “My skin is tinted green because my blood is green, just as your and Mr. Scott's skin is tinted pink because your blood is red. My blood is a deeper color than my skin.”

“Come join me then and open a vein for me.” He knew it sounded crazy, but he was in a crazy mood. “That would be so decent of you to show me some color. Green would be so lively in this landscape.”

“Captain, is Mr. Scott there? Perhaps he could--”

“You’re right. Mr. Scott is closer, and more available than you are. He could open a vein for me. It wouldn’t be green blood, but, hey, it’d work. Red. Green. Whichever. It would be color.”

Scotty looked alarmed, but he stood his ground. Leaving Kirk was certain suicide, even if Kirk was talking crazy.

“Captain--”

“It’s okay, Mr. Spock. I’m over my rant. Besides, Mr. Scott's blood is probably more ice water right now than normal. It wouldn't be a pretty color at all or flowing nicely the way I'm needing to see.” Seeing Scotty looking skeptical had settled him right down. For the moment.

“Are you quite certain that it is an ice cave where you are located?” Spock wanted to know. That was the wrong thing to ask, which he immediately learned when Kirk answered him.

“Well, I haven’t taken a core sample, if that’s what you’re asking. But for my money, it’s an ice cave. Up, down, all around, ice. Wherever I look, ice. Except right in front of me, of course. Otherwise, ice. Doesn’t get any more basic than that. Logical, too, if that’s what you’re wondering. I knew that you'd appreciate that touch. And before you ask, Mr. Scott is still right here. Beside me. Freezing his ass off, too, just as I am.”

"As I recall, you were not properly attired in clothing for colder climate conditions, Captain. No wonder you are chilled."

"There's a reason for that! And chilled is the understatement of the year! My penis feels like an scrawny icicle! And my nose may have already fallen off!"

"Captain, I am beginning to worry about you. You seem quite erratic."

Kirk shoved the comm at Scotty. “Here. Talk to your buddy. Reassure him. Apparently I’ve lost my ability to do that. He's having a terrible time of it as he faces the brutal conditions of swimming suit weather.”

Scotty stared at Kirk, then said hesitantly into the comm, “Mr. Spock?” 

“Mr. Scott,” Spock answered with obvious relief. “Maybe you will have a clearer head. The captain did not let me finish with what I wanted to tell him.”

“I wish that was my problem with him. He keeps demanding information I do not have.”

“He is just annoyed with you.”

“Aye! And then some! Frankly, he has me worried, Commander," Scotty confided in a low voice as he tucked the comm close to his mouth. "He seems to be, ah, deranged."

“He does not really intend to harm you. You know that he is a kind person who treats his crew as family. The last thing he would want is for you to be injured in any way.”

"Maybe. But he does not mind making me worry a little bit."

"I believe that you Earthlings have an adage about sticks and stones which would be appropriate now. It is my firm belief that you will come to no physical harm at Captain Kirk's hands, Mr. Scott."

Scotty gave Spock a nervous grin that Spock obviously could not see. “I believe that you are reassuring me more than I am reassuring you, Mr. Spock. I appreciate your effort. Now what is the information that you wanted to share?”

"Mr. Chekov has located your approximate location and is sending a shuttle for you."

"That is good news!" Scotty's grin was huge with relief.

"But it will be awhile before it reaches you. You seem to have gone the opposite direction that we did. And, of course, you went up while we simply traveled along the ground of the same planet."

"Oh," Scotty said, disappointed.

"In the meanwhile, you need to find more shelter than you presently have. That is why I asked the captain if you had explored the cave. You need to get out of the extreme elements."

"Well, we'll do what we can," Scotty answered without much enthusiasm. He was getting pretty numb and cold. At least moving around would warm them up, if nothing else would.

Spock patiently continued with his explanation because he still hadn't gotten to tell his second important news. “I thought that if you were on a planet that was indeed a facsimile of Terran’s Iceland, it might help us to understand your situation. The cave at your present location might also have features of Icelandic ice caves.” He could almost visualize the confusion on Scotty’s face. “I suppose what I am trying to say is that it would be very advantageous if your ice cave is connected to a volcanic vent. Although Iceland is covered with ice, it sits upon a volcanic hotspot. That accounts for the island's volcanoes.”

Scotty’s face brightened. “I see what you’re getting at! There might be a warm center to this cave! There might be somewhere we could thaw out!”

“Exactly. Have you seen signs of melting and refreezing?”

Scotty looked around. “I cannae tell! But I sure as hell want to explore your theory! We are standing in the mouth of the cave so will begin our explorations now!”

“Good. Let us know what you find out--”

But Scotty had already clicked off the comm and handed it back to Kirk. “Come on!” he ordered as he plunged headlong into the cave, forgetting that Kirk was the one who was supposed to be issuing orders.

“Scotty?! Where are we going? Scotty?!” Kirk demanded as he tried to keep up. “Will you hold up a second?!”

But Scotty was following the beam of his flashlight and eagerly checking out everything new he saw.

“We have to find where the cave is warmer!” Scotty explained.

“Well, yeah, that would be nice, but that’s not about to happen in all of this ice.”

“Thermodynamics, Captain!” Scotty shouted with gleaming eyes as he plunged further into the cave.

“Well, yeah, I know about thermodynamics,” Kirk chattered as he trailed behind him. “Or at least Spock tried to pound it into my head at Starfleet Academy. But, of course, I was young and stupid and thought that I knew everything and tried to inform him of that fact. It didn’t turn out well for either of us. It’s a wonder that we ever survived the Academy or became friends.”

“But we do have a heat source in all of this ice, Captain. Can’t you feel it?!” Scotty demanded. “It’s getting warmer in here! And it isn't because we're moving around!”

“By golly, you’re right!” Kirk agreed in amazement. “It’s not imagination or frustration, either! It’s coming from ahead of us!”

“That’s what Mr. Spock wanted you to know,” Scotty explained as they hurried forward. “Like Iceland, there might be volcanoes under all of this ice and snow.”

“It’s getting lighter ahead, too.”

“You’re right.” Scotty clicked off his flashlight. “Maybe we’re walking into the belly of the beast.”

“Right now, Scotty, I wouldn’t mind if it was Beezlebub himself waiting for us. As long as it’s warm and we can thaw out awhile, I’ll worry about other stuff later.”

“Aye. Stuff like food and water and quality of air. Hard telling how long it will take the shuttle to get to us, so other essentials might become quite the issue for us.”

Kirk gave Scotty a lazy smile. “Just when I was starting to have ideas of letting you live, you go and ruin everything with practicalities.”

“And logic. Don’t forget logic.”

“I can’t. Neither would Mr. Spock. He’d be proud of us for using it.”

“Aye,” Scotty agreed with a roll of his eyes. “I wonder what he’s thinking about now. I ended our conversation rather abruptly.”

Spock was left staring at his comm with a puzzled frown. 

“What happened?! Were you cut off?!” McCoy demanded.

“I believe that Mr. Scott ended the transmission without using the standard sign-off procedure.”

“You were cut off,” McCoy said with a huff. “I heard him. He had other fish to fry and wanted to get to it.”

Spock looked up with a blank expression on his face. “Mr. Scott and the Captain have found a food source? How would you know that when I did not hear either of them relaying that information? And I have the comm,” he stated, waving his comm in the air as if it was the State’s Exhibit A in a murder trial.

“Not those fish! Forget about the fish!”

“I wish I could. You are the one who keeps talking about fish in the ice cave--”

“No fish in the ice cave!”

“How would you know that?” Spock was truly puzzled and amazed. And impressed. “As far as I understood from Mr. Scott and the Captain, they had not advanced far enough into the cave to know very much about its ecology so far--”

“You know, you’re real lucky that I’m in love with you.”

“I know that, Doctor, but I fail to see what bearing that fact has on the present situation--”

“All the bearing in the universe! Otherwise, I’d throttle you where you stand! You and your literal mind!”

“You could try,” Spock said with craft in his voice and a placid smile on his lips. “But I know the Vulcan Nerve Pinch. And I will not hesitate to use it if you become unstable.”

“And I know pressure points! So there!” McCoy took several deep, quick breaths as if he had been running a great distance very fast. “And don't forget something else very important, too. I’m not afraid to grab you where it would get your attention the most,” he growled in a low, threatening voice. "I think you know where I mean, since you like my hand being on it so much, stroking it into robust life, cooing at it like it's some sort of special pet, taking special pains to be extra nice to it because I know that it will eventually be extra nice to me. But make no mistake, I am quite prepared to get nasty with it if I need to focus your whole being on what I am saying."

Spock blinked and pulled back his head.

“Wrong part of your anatomy to be pulling back,” McCoy crooned with satisfaction.

“Sometimes I do not know you, Doctor.”

“Makes two of us,” McCoy shot back. “But let’s leave this--” He was about to say “pissing contest,” but he knew that would only bog them down into further conversational meanderings. “--discussion until later. It’s not helping Jim and Scotty. And it sure as hell isn't helping your relationship with me any.”

“I just hope that the captain is not angry enough to injure Mr. Scott.”

“If Jim did, it would be poetic justice,” McCoy said with a grin, the first in quite awhile.

“Why is that?”

“Mr. Scott is not exactly an innocent here.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Just a notion I’ve had for some time. I think that Scotty wanted to get Jim to himself and away from us.”

“Why would he want to do that?”

“Oh, come on, Spock! Before we got together, why was I always trying to get you alone?! And what about those times that you were trying to get me alone?! Have you forgotten about all of that?! The angst?! The misery?! The not knowing about what the other guy was thinking or even if he wanted anything to do with you?!”

“The love? When we finally got it figured out?” Spock supplied with the crafty look back on his face. He loved his love life with McCoy and he loved talking about it.

“That’s right,” McCoy said with a crafty look of his own. “Come on, let’s go hit the pool and feel each other up in the water. I think I'm in the mood to do that,” he said with an appraising look at Spock's body. "How about some Anatomy by Braille?"

“Can we play blind, naked porpoises?!” Spock suggested with a gusto and an equal leer that McCoy rarely saw outside their bedroom.

“Sounds good to me,” McCoy agreed with a chuckle. He knew how much Spock loved trying to hold onto McCoy's slippery, naked body in the water. In the swimming pool, it would almost be like they were naked in their skimpy swim trunks.

“But what about the captain and Mr. Scott?” Spock asked with a concerned frown.

“Let them have some time. Maybe they can get something worked out. We can’t get to them for a little while anyway.”

“You are an old romantic, Leonard,” Spock praised with a soft smile.

“I’m a realist. There’s only so much we can do on this end. We might as well not waste our shore leave. And as for Kirk and Scott, they are on their own for the time being.”


	2. The Best Part Of Scotland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk's disposition improves with warmth and shelter, then he makes demands that Scotty had only dreamed about getting to deliver.

“By golly, I think you’re right, Scotty! It is getting warmer!” Now that their luck was improving, Kirk was getting excited about their present surroundings. Maybe there was an up-side to all of this mess, after all. There had to be a bright side to everything, didn't there? It was difficult for him to stay pessimistic for too long, especially when there was a new place to be explored. That was their mission, after all, wasn't it? Explore the universe?

Kirk's enthusiasm was catching. “Aye, Captain. It is at that! And look! There is a hole in the wall over here. It's almost like it's a door for us to use! And it seems to be brighter on the other side of it! We will be alright now! We've found the heart of the ice cave!” Scotty charged ahead.

“Scotty, wait! It might be dangerous!” Kirk cautioned.

But Kirk might as well have saved his breath, because Scotty plunged into the hole without any thought of caution. He was so wanting to redeem himself with Kirk that he was willing to try anything, and it looked like he was going to get the opportunity to do so. He didn’t have time to be cautious when he was trying to restore his good name.

Scotty skidded to a stop, scrunched his eyes shut with a sudden yip of surprise, and put his hands up to protect himself.

“What’s wrong?!” Kirk plunged into the hole after him, then threw his hands up, too. The light was awfully bright.

“Wow! Guess my eyes had gotten used to the dimness back in the tunnel.”

“Aye. And I wouldn’t have thought it would’ve made that much difference. My flashlight on the ice walls was fairly bright.”

“But not as bright as what we’ve got in this room,” Kirk said as he looked around. “The ice walls are faceted like worked gems. It’s like standing inside of a cut diamond.” He grinned. “I think we must’ve found the spa that you signed up for.”

“Then I didn’t make a mistake?”

“Well, maybe you marked the wrong tours for us. This wouldn’t be my first choice, but this ain’t bad. Not bad at all,” he said, looking around at the ice walls that continued to reflect the light source over and over. “I’d still rather be at poolside with Spock and McCoy and the unclad young ladies, though.”

“We seem to have a pool,” Scotty declared as he swept his hand toward a body of water that was steaming near them. “Thermally heated, too, if I’m not mistaken,” he noted with satisfaction. His value was surely going up in Kirk’s eyes. “Probably mineral waters, which would be soothing and healing, too. Good for what ails us, lad.”

Kirk grinned. “Great, as far as it goes.”

“Aye?” Scotty asked with a worried face.

“Those heated mineral waters that sooth and heal?”

“Aye?”

“Great to soak in and even to drink, if they're like mineral spring waters on Terran. Bones might even want to use them to replace castor oil for constipation problems back on the Enterprise. And they'd probably tighten the skin around the eyes of a matronly lady wanting to look like a teenager again.”

“Sounds good, so far,” Scotty decided with a roll of his expressive eyes. Maybe this would work out for him after all, despite the ill-fated start of his plan to get Kirk to himself. In his eagerness to find a destination for them away from the crew, he had succeeded in that respect. But he had succeeded too well. He had not planned to transport themselves to somewhere without the simplest of creature comforts. But now since they had located the warm heart of the ice cave, maybe other amenities would present themselves. Someplace warm and enchanting was a nice start, though. A very nice start, indeed. Maybe it would put Kirk in the proper frame of mind for some cuddling. Scotty could not dare hope for anything more than that.

"Yep, nice cave, nice pool," Kirk agreed, looking around at their new digs.

Scotty wondered what Kirk's point was. Because Kirk always had a point, and he could deliver it with lightening sharp accuracy to blow something nice all to pieces.

And he did this time, too.

“Won’t replace a good steak, though,” Kirk said with a sigh.

“Aye,” Scotty agreed, finding the flaw in their newfound haven.

"We're gonna be needing food before long, and I don't see much around here to eat."

"Maybe we just haven't seen anything yet."

“Not gonna be hungry for just anything. I'm on shore leave. I want great food, fresh from the fields and the stockyard. Think of it, Scotty. A twelve ounce steak grilled with onions and buttered mushrooms piled all over it. A big baked potato on the side with more melted butter and sour cream oozing down its crusty sides. A green salad crowded with crisp croutons, cherry tomatoes, carrot curls, asparagus tips, and whatever other veggies you can cram in it. And hot rolls that taste of the wheat fields of North Dakota and melt in your mouth while the fresh creamery butter on them runs down either side of your mouth and threatens to give you a greasy goatee. And for dessert, an assortment of fruit glaces and cream tarts, each more tasty than the last one. And fresh fruits. All the fresh fruits you'd ever want, and then some you didn't even know you were hungry for. And wines, all kinds of wine, to wash it all down. Just think of it, Scotty. A meal like that, and we’ll forget all about Starfleet and Klingons and things that go bump in the night. They could bump all they wanted, as long as they left us alone to digest food like that.” He stopped talking and gazed off into medium space as if he was already busily digesting that hearty meal. "Yes, sir, that's the way that men eat."

“Aye,” Scotty agreed wistfully. “A meal fit for a king alright. Or two hungry Starfleet officers.”

Kirk came out of his reverie. “But not intended for these two hungry Starfleet officers.” He glanced around. “I don’t even see a crust of dry bread lying about, let alone an old chicken leg or a dried out lasagna TV dinner just waiting for us to gnaw on.”

“Strange. I wasn’t particularly hungry before, but now I am.”

“Mother said that men are led around by their stomachs, that we are all babies when it comes to wanting to be fed right.”

“Your mother was wise, indeed.”

Kirk smirked. “About food, at least. Not always about men, sad to say.”

“We must all have our failings.”

“And mine is my appetite.” He grinned self-consciously. “Well, appetites, actually. I do like to be sated, both inside and out.”

Scotty glanced around him. “Not much around here to satisfy you, I suppose.”

“Not unless we get creative. Remember when Spock and McCoy got stranded on that planet? They had access to a cave that time, too. McCoy scraped lichen off the wall and made a soup out of it.”

Scotty studied the smooth ice. “Not much lichen growing here.” He frowned and looked closer. “What is this?”

Kirk looked closer, too. “What? What do you see?”

“This frosty looking stuff. It wasn’t here a moment ago.”

“Probably hoarfrost. Probably the moisture from your breath is creating it. I’ve heard that the manna in the Bible probably looked like hoarfrost. It’s even depicted in paintings as frosty-looking deposits on the ground. Only trouble was, there isn’t much frost in the desert.” Kirk looked at Scotty’s frosty patch on the cave wall. “Or any manna in this cave.”

Scotty looked discouraged and plunged his hand into his pocket. His face lit up as he pulled his hand out and offered something to Kirk. “I seem to have some curvy critters candy in the bottom of my pocket.”

Kirk looked at the few broken and linty pieces of sugary treats on Scotty’s palm. “That’s okay. You keep it.”

“I will gladly share it,” Scotty urged with a sincere face. He felt responsible for getting Kirk into this mess, and he would’ve let Kirk have all of the candy to make amends.

That touched Kirk more than if Scotty was treating him to prime rib or surf and turf or the steak dinner he’d described earlier. “I know you would,” Kirk said softly.

“We might need it later,” Scotty said practically as he stuffed the few candy pieces back into his pocket.

Kirk vowed that it would have to be way later if he would ever be desperate enough to eat that furry looking candy.

“Hard telling how long before the shuttle reaches us,” Scotty continued.

“I say that we make the best of a bad situation,” Kirk suggested with a smile.

Scotty was all for that, especially if Kirk stopped blaming him for something that he thought was going to turn out to be a lot of mutual fun, especially for himself.

“Aye, I’m okay with that, Captain.”

“Well, supposing we forget about food and dwell on things that we do have available for us, like that great pool of warm water just waiting for us to try it out.”

Scotty was all for that, too, and decided that they might want to reserve the warm water for drinking purposes. But logic told him that they would have to be awfully thirsty or would have to stay here for a long time before they drank that pool of warm water dry. That realization came as a mixed blessing to Scotty, but it all came down to the fact that they probably wouldn’t be here very long, especially with a shuttlecraft headed their way. Scotty would like to have Kirk’s undivided attention for awhile, but it would be nice if they were a little surer of their physical comforts such as food and water and heat. An ice cave with a hidden furnace might suffice in an emergency, but Scotty wouldn’t like to trust it for anything permanent, such as a place to set up housekeeping.

“Do you mean for us to go swimming in it, Captain?”

“Catch on quick, don’t you?” Kirk said with a wink. “Last one undressed is a rotten apple!” Kirk yelled suddenly and started stripping clothing as his gold tunic shot over his head.

Scotty didn’t know if he was quite ready for skinny-dipping with the guy he had designs on, at least not until they were a little bit more familiar with each other on a, ahem, personal basis.

“Ah...” Scotty croaked as Kirk’s bare chest came into view.

“Problem?” Kirk asked as he threw his black T-shirt aside and his magnificent chest rippled in all of its splendor for Scotty to enjoy. “Don’t tell me you’re modest!” Kirk chided.

“No, sir,” Scotty hem-hawed. “Perhaps we should keep our skivvies on, you know. Just in case.”

“Just in case we see each other naked and go berserk?” Kirk teased. “Come on, Scotty! We’re guys!”

“Aye, but the rescue team might have ladies aboard. They are expecting to find half-frozen victims, not naked idiots cavorting like playful seals.”

Kirk frowned as he studied Scotty. “I never figured you for an old maid Sunday School teacher looking critically down her nose.”

But Scotty held his ground. Besides, he was slightly embarrassed to reveal himself to Kirk in the harsh light of day. Scotty knew he wasn’t bad in the physique department, but he was no James T. Kirk. Who was, for that matter?

“I’m just saying that we need to be prudent, sir.”

“Okay, we’ll be prudent for the non-existent ladies who might be on the rescue crew in the shuttle craft,” Kirk muttered as he hopped around trying to keep his balance as he stripped off his black trousers. Then he threw his arms wide for Scotty’s inspection as he stood there dressed only in his skimpy black briefs. “How’s that? Looking okay to you?”

He looked damn good, Scotty wanted to say as his happy eyes soaked up the sight of Kirk in those sexy briefs. Scotty had been expecting tighty-whities, so the black underwear was an added bonus. The primary bonus, of course, was the sight of Jim Kirk so nearly nude, so close to him, and so damn appealing that it made certain parts of Scotty want to jump for joy.

Which they did.

"What the hell just happened to your face?" Kirk wanted to know, giving his Chief Engineer a curious expression. "You looked like something just grabbed ahold of you."

Scotty gulped. Kirk didn't know how close to the truth he was.

Kirk gave him a toothy grin. "You never did give me your opinion."

“How come you were wearing your swimming trunks under your uniform?”

Kirk pulled down his arms, disappointed. “That’s all you’re curious about?”

All I’m going to admit out loud, Scotty thought to himself and hoped that his face didn’t reflect what he was thinking.

“Well, if you must know, I was gonna save time when I got to my hotel room,” Kirk supplied when Scotty didn’t answer. “I was gonna hit my room one minute and the pool the next. Then live there until it was time for shore leave to be over. I was gonna ogle the ladies and let them ogle me, take my meals in the water, and use the poolside bathroom when I couldn’t avoid Nature’s Call anymore. I was gonna let parts of me shrivel up like a sack of raisins, but I knew that they would snap to attention whenever I needed them to. You know, whenever I got lucky. And however,” he said happily, remembering that special dream. He mentally shook himself. “But of course my plans got changed about all of that when I wound up in this ice cave. Didn’t they?” He gave Scotty a tight-lipped smile.

Scotty didn’t have an answer for that one, either.

“Last one in is a rotten egg!” Kirk suddenly yelled and raced for the steaming water in the waiting pool.

That brought Scotty to life. “Captain! Wait! Don’t!”

Kirk skidded to a stop and nearly fell headlong into the pool. He windmilled his arms as he fought to keep his balance. “What?!” He finally caught himself and glared. “I swear, Scotty! This better be good! You’re not batting a thousand today! At this rate, you’ll do well if you hit five hundred! And we aren't even playing baseball!”

“Captain, we dinnae know what’s in that water! It could be anything from piranha to flesh eating bacteria!”

“Well, aren’t you just the Nervous Nellie,” Kirk said with disgust. “It could be plain old water, too.”

“You should test it first.”

“How?” Kirk asked as he held his empty hands out to his sides. “I didn’t bring my Junior Science Kit with me. And I sure as hell don't have it hidden anywhere on me. Feel free to examine me if you don’t believe me.” 

Scotty blushed a deep red as his eyes centered on Kirk’s only apparel: the skimpy black swimsuit. And it wasn’t hiding much, especially a Junior Science Kit.

“No, we can’t test the waters, and they look so inviting,” Kirk continued. Then he snapped his fingers as if a thought had suddenly come to him. “I know! I could throw you in and see what happens,” he said with malice. “Then we’ll see how many piranha or flesh eating bacteria are in it.”

Scotty was struck with shock at what he was hearing. “Captain!”

“Relax. I’d sooner toss myself in there then risk one of my crew. You should know that by now.” Kirk was a little hurt by Scotty’s lack of faith.

“Aye, I know that to be a fact. But I also know that you have not been yourself since we got here.”

“Well, now, there’s a reason for that, didn’t you know? While this ice cube of a planet might hold charm for polar bears and penguins, I am of neither species. And while this cave is warm and cozy, it isn’t holding too many diversions for me. So you’re going to have to make amends for its shortcomings.”

Scotty looked confused. “I dinnae know what you’re meaning.”

Kirk took a step toward him and gave him a flirty look. “Why, you’re going to have to entertain me,” he said in a suggestive voice.

Scotty blinked. “I'm not much of a showman. I canna sing or dance or tell funny stories.”

“Not wanting singing or dancing or funny stories.”

“Then I don’t know what you’re wanting sir.”

“Oh, I think you can figure things out. What could I possible want that I was figuring on doing poolside when we got to the shore leave we were supposed to get to?”

“Swimming? Tanning? Dozing? Watching the pretty girls?”

“Now you’re being dense. I think you know what I’m wanting,” Kirk said, giving him a stripping glance up and down. “I figure you’re packing.”

That red face he displayed put Scotty’s previous embarrassment to shame. “Captain, I canna do that!”

“I figure you can get it up if you think you’re gonna get the one and only Captain James T. Kirk in compromising position,” Kirk lisped as he searched Scotty’s eyes that were trying to hide from Kirk’s. 

Kirk’s breath tickled his face and made sweat pop out on Scotty. And something else began to pop out on Scotty, too.

“That’s what I figured,” Kirk said with a knowing grin as he noted the sure sign of Scotty's interest. “You just needed the proper stimulation so you could rise to the occasion, as they so quaintly say in polite society. But we ain't gonna be quaint or polite. Just vulgar.” And he gave Scotty another stripping glance to hammer home his point.

Scotty looked trapped between his embarrassment of Kirk's brazenness and his own obvious want. “Captain, this is so wrong--”

“Shh, shh,” Kirk said soothingly. “Here, let me help you with your clothing.” He reached out for Scotty’s tunic.

Scotty ducked his head. “Captain! I must protest--”

“So must I. Stop being such a prude and give me some loving."

Scotty blushed scarlet. Had he heard Kirk right?! "Loving?!" he repeated, hoping against hope that's Kirk had meant also.

Kirk shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Surely that can’t be such a difficult thing to do with me.”

“No, it wouldn’t.”

"Wouldn't, what?" Kirk persisted.

"Wouldn't be difficult," Scotty admitted grudgingly, although he figured that he and Kirk had different definitions for the word "loving".

“Then show me some skin so we can get down to the main action. I’m wanting the best part of Scotland in me before we get rescued. And I want it in me now, before I'm very much older and I can still remember what it feels like to have a man take me. I think you can be rough with me, then so sweet it will make me cry. I want both from you. Now. Masterfully. Demandingly. Lovingly. Because I think you can be all things to me, Scotty. If you just want to be something special for me. Because I sure want everything you've got for me from you.” He bit his lips together. "I don't know if it's this cave or the guy with me. But I want you to do it to me. And I want it now! Don't make me beg!"

"I won't, sir," Scotty answered, mesmerized. "But it's just me... Scotty."

"And you're the guy I want now," Kirk told him, tears stinging his eyelids with his want. "Take me now."

"Yes, sir." Scotty’s eyes were burning into Kirk’s as he reached down with nervous hands to pull his red tunic over his head. He didn't mind at all when Kirk's impatient hands grabbed onto his clothing and yanked up.

And then down.

And then there was all of that delicious naked skin against his before Kirk demanded more than just touching. Scotty was happy to comply with that request, too. And more than ready, he found to his relief and Kirk's demands.

Spock was relaxed and gave McCoy a happy smile. “That was most enjoyable, Leonard. I do like playing ‘blind, naked porpoises.’”

“I know you do, Spock,” McCoy said as they sat at the edge of the pool and dried off with heavy, thirsty towels. “But we really do have to check in with Jim and Scotty. They were really antsy before, especially Jim. It's probably seemed like days instead of only a few hours that they've had to be stranded wherever they are. They'll probably welcome the sound of our voices and reassurances that the time of waiting for rescue will be soon be over.”

Spock sat back in the lounge chair. “I hope that they are not too bored. What could they find to do in an ice cave?”

McCoy smirked. “I hope that they got creative.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if they found a warm spot, then they could at least not have to worry about staying alive. Who knows what they found to do? After all, it's a whole new world wherever they are.”

“Here they are, having an adventure while the rest of us are just relaxing,” Spock said with a huff.

McCoy grinned. “They probably don’t look at their situation as the opportunity that you are.” McCoy thought about it for a moment. “Maybe it is an opportunity for them in its own way, though.”

“Meaning?”

“Scotty wanted to get Kirk to himself. That, he got done.” He smirked. “Just so Kirk isn’t killing him concerning the circumstances, Scotty should be alright.” 

“It will be interesting to learn how they are faring.”

“Yeah.” McCoy flicked open his communicator. “McCoy to Kirk. Are you there?”

It took a few moments, then Kirk finally answered. “Kirk here.”

“Doing alright where you are?”

“Just fine.” Kirk sounded better than he had previously. There was no anger or edginess in his voice. In fact, he sounded remarkably mellow. “Spock was right. There's volcanic fires heating this area. We found a crystal cave that’s warm and full of light. There’s even a pool of water, but we didn’t try it.”

“Good thing. Hard telling what's in it."

"I'm surrounded by worrywarts," Kirk grumbled. "No sense of adventure."

McCoy grinned. "Better safe than sorry."

"Yeah. Yeah. You sound like Scott," Kirk muttered.

"I wanted to tell you that the shuttle will be at your location in about half an hour.”

“That sounds good. We should be ready by then.”

McCoy frowned. “Ready? What are you finding to do?”

Kirk smiled. “Just relaxing. It’s very refreshing here. I’m enjoying myself.”

“And Scotty?”

“Oh, I think that he’s enjoying himself, also. He’s busy exercising at the moment, or I’d let you talk to him.”

That made Spock suspicious. “What about Mr. Scott? What sort of exercises is he doing?” he prompted. He remembered Kirk’s angst against Scotty at their last transmission.

“Just would like a ‘Hi’ from Scotty, Jim,” McCoy said, sharing Spock's concern.

“Scotty, say ‘Hi’ to McCoy and Spock. They're missing the sound of your voice,” Kirk directed as he held the comm away from his mouth apparently toward Scotty. "No, they insist on it. And I do, too, now," Kirk said with a new firmness to his voice.

“Hi!” Scotty bellowed.

McCoy and Spock both recoiled. They could hear Kirk laughing in the background.

McCoy frowned. “He sounded highly stressed, Jim. What’s going on?”

“Like I said, he’s exercising and using a lot of energy. Hmm,” he moaned. “Yeah! Like that! Oh, sweet! Yeah! Sweet J----! That feels good! Oh, hell! Aggh!”

“What’s wrong? Jim?! What's wrong?! Are you being attacked?!” McCoy shouted.

“Nothing. Just stretching,” Kirk said in the languid voice again that sounded super relaxed. “It’s the least I could do since Scotty is exercising so much.”

“Thought you weren’t gonna answer when I first called.”

“Just a little busy.”

“Well, glad you’re keeping yourselves entertained.”

“Oh, yeah, that we are.” A few moments of Kirk’s deep breathing broadcast over the comm. And there might even have been a soft moan that rose, then sighed away.

“Well, sounds like you're busy."

"Hmm," Kirk hummed to him, then got a hitch in his voice that ended in a squeal.

"We'll see you when you get in,” McCoy mumbled, thinking that his call hadn't been all that welcomed.

"Don't know about that," Kirk mumbled back.

"What?"

"The seeing us when we get in."

That wrangled McCoy a little. Here they'd been disrupting their shore leave to get Kirk and Scotty back, and Kirk for one didn't seem to want to take the time to thank them when they had at last could rejoin the crew. "Oh?" McCoy sounded a little snippy.

“We’ll take a little rehab in our rooms when we first get there." Kirk answered. "Get cleaned up. Maybe grab a quick nap.”

“Okay. McCoy out.” He stared at the comm.

“What is wrong, Leonard?”

“That’s odd. You’d think that Jim would be ready to hit the swimming pool when he got here. But he wants to nap. Nap?! You’d think they’d be getting naps in where they are.”

"Maybe their side trip has exhausted them and they feel that they will need some time to get adjusted again."

"Yeah, that's probably it," McCoy mumbled. But he could not get those strange moans and mumblings coming from Kirk out of his head. McCoy would almost swear that Kirk sounded like he was in the middle of having sex. But that would mean that Scotty had persuaded Kirk to his way of thinking. If Scotty had, he was mightier than McCoy had imagined. McCoy would believe quicker than it was Kirk's idea to fill some boring time. He hoped for Scotty's sake that wasn't the truth.

Kirk laid aside the comm. “You’ve got half an hour,” he said to the red-faced, sweating man leaning over him and framed between Kirk’s upraised, naked legs. “Give me something to remember, and don't spare the horses. We gotta make this count until we can get back to our original rooms.”

“I’m trying, Captain!” Scotty said as he drew himself out and thrust harder into Kirk’s anus with a growl and the force of a Mack truck hitting a cement culvert. It felt like it had taken that much energy to perform, too.

Kirk gasped and rolled his eyes as he clawed at the cave floor with his groping fingers. “Oh, hell, Scotty! That’s good! You’ve got a helluva knack for hitting my prostate every time you ram me! That's a rare skill. And one that is very appreciated.”

“I aim to please, Captain!”

“Just so you aim for the prostate and hit it with each surge, we’ll get along just fine!” He yipped in pleasure as Scotty's piledriving thrust rocketed into him again. "Oh, hell, Scotty, that's sweet! Just the way I like it! Hard, hard, and harder! Hammer! Hammer! Hammer!"

But Scotty eventually had to pause. He mopped sweat off his reddened face with the back of his hand and drew raspy breaths in through his parted lips. "Sorry, Captain. I just gotta take a breather."

Kirk gave him a mellow smile. "That's alright. It'll give my ass a chance to stop vibrating. I think it's numb down there anything. Tell you what," he said, reaching up with one hand and lacing his fingers between a set of Scotty's. "Why don't you come down here for awhile and give me some cuddling. I think I'd like that for a change of pace."

Scotty didn't have to be asked twice. He shoved between Kirk’s knees and pressed down against Kirk's chest as he draped himself over Kirk's body. He'd been dying to feel that much of Kirk's nakedness against him for as long as he wanted, and by golly he was going to have that pleasure now no matter how much Kirk wanted him to keep on hammering. Sometimes a guy just had to feel the merchandise that he was manhandling, and this was one of those times. Scotty was going to get some cuddling in of that tempting body just so he'd have that magnificent memory, too.

“Humph! Splitting me open, Scotty! Exposing me to the world!”

“Make yourself more open for me!” Scotty commanded against Kirk’s ear as he wriggled his hungry body over Kirk's, stimulating all sorts of pulsating places, including ultra-sensitive nipples. "I want to feel your surrender!"

“I’m about as venerable as I can be now!” Kirk yelled back. “Legs splayed! Arms akimbo! What else can I give you that you don't already have?! You took my pride a long time ago!”

“Your heart!” Scotty savagely tore at Kirk’s earlobe with his teeth.

Kirk whimpered and screwed his eyes shut as ecstasy shot all sorts of burning flames through his loins. Scotty's trunk bucked rhythmically and sent his hardened penis deep inside Kirk, glancing over the prostate as it tore a triumphant path through Kirk's yielding body.

Kirk shivered with the lust that roared through him. “It’s yours! Just as long as you pump into me like that, you’ve got anything of me that you want!”

Scotty drew back. Blood was smeared on his chin, and it was hard telling which one of theirs it was. He gave Kirk a crafty smile. “Aye, and I’m taking it all in, too. You might be the captain of a mighty starship, but you are nothing unless you are in my arms. And that's the way it's gonna be, my fine and mighty captain!”

“Yes, yes, oh, yes! Let me feel all of you! Anything! Anything you want! Just so I can feel you in me!”

Scotty smiled as he neared Kirk’s lips with the kiss he had been saving up for months. He'd make certain that Kirk's body would never feel lonesome again. And maybe he could cuddle Kirk all he wanted when Kirk finally passed out from desire. Then Scotty would truly feel that Kirk was his.

McCoy held Spock as he slept. They had had a quick shower and then quickie sex because McCoy had been just as ready for a rough session as Spock had been after playing 'blind, naked porpoises' in the swimming pool. Truth be known, McCoy had been more turned on by what Kirk and Scotty had probably been doing than by any shenanigans with Spock. But let Spock think what he wanted. Either stimulation had turned McCoy into a bearcat that Spock had fought to control. Their encounter had left both sated and exhausted and needing to rest.

Spock moaned in his sleep and called for McCoy. "Here, darlin,'" McCoy cooed and kissed an exposed upper arm.

Spock smiled in his sleep, sighed as he pulled McCoy closer, and returned to his dream about 'blind, naked porpoises' and trying to hold onto a squirming McCoy in water as warm as his own Vulcan skin.

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing of Star Trek, its characters, and/or its story lines.


End file.
